Coys Historic Festival preview

Mansell will drive the Classic Team Lotus Type 79, owned and run by Lotus founder Colin Chapman's son Clive. The Lotus 79 was the first Grand Prix car tested by Nigel before Chapman gave the World Champion-to-be his break into Formula One at the Austrian Grand Prix in 1980.

The second car Mansell will drive is the Lotus 87B. This not only marked Nigel's first full season in the World Championship in 1981, but represents one of the most controversial cars in the championship's history. "Colin Chapman designed the car with two bodies, with the bottom half of the chassis dropping when it was driven to provide more ground-effect, in a similar way to the skirts of the period," explained owner David Coplowe.

"It was tested by Elio de Angelis and qualified in the first Grand Prix of the season at Long Beach but unfortunately was banned before the race, just as the skirts had been banned previously."

Mansell drove this particular chassis in the German, Dutch and Italian Grands Prix and at the Austrian, where he was lying seventh before the engine seized.

In addition, Jaguar director and former 3-times World Champion Jackie Stewart will be reunited with the Tyrrell 003 that he won his second championship with. Jack Brabham, champion in 1959, 1960 and 1966 is tipped to drive a car bearing his own name, while other legendary drivers of the past Roy Salvadori and Stirling Moss will drive machinery from the 50s.

Celebrating the birth of the championship will be cars such as the Alfa Romeo 158 'Alfetta' in which Juan Manuel Fangio won his first race, and which dominated the early years of the series. The shrill BRM V16 will make a popular appearance half a century after embarrassingly breaking down at the start of its British Grand Prix, also at Silverstone.

It doesn't stop at the start of the World Championship, however, as much pre-war motoring history will be on demonstration. The ERA 'Remus' will be present for those interested in one of the most turbulent periods in motor racing history, when the sit-up-and-beg style British cars took on the might of the 'Silver Arrows' of Mercedes Benz and Auto Union - and were crushed beyond belief.

In contrast, machinery bringing us up to date such as the 1993 Ferrari V12, a Tyrrell 019 originally driven by Jean Alesi and the Jordan, McLaren and Stewart from last season will be of some consolation to those turned away from the Grand Prix this year.

All the usual historic races for sportscars and former Grand Prix cars among others will take place, this year added to by the Autosport 50th F1 celebration and and Air Display on Saturday. In addition, a historic rallysprint will take place on the Friday.

Admission costs are £25 for adults, and accompanied children under 16 go free.

The event runs from Friday July 21st to Sunday July 23rd.